Context

The Woodland Carbon Code and sequestration in context

Woodland carbon projects contribute to just one of a hierarchy of actions that can help to combat the effects of climate change. However, before considering carbon sequestration projects individuals, businesses and other organisations need to

Where does the Code fit in?

The Woodland Carbon Code is a voluntary standard for woodland creation projects in the UK. Carbon sequestration resulting from certified projects will contribute directly to the UK’s national targets for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

National Policies

In the UK Clean Growth Strategy the government commits to set up a stronger and more attractive domestic carbon offset market that will encourage more businesses to support cost-effective emissions reductions, such as through planting trees, and also to consider extending this market to include other land activities.

Defra's 25 year Environment plan states that government will introduce a reporting framework for businesses to drive demand for Domestic Offset Units and consider a Forest Carbon Guarantee scheme, using the existing Woodland Carbon Code.

The Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan has a policies in both the Forestry and the Agriculture sectors to promote the Woodland Carbon Code, and in the agriculture sector, the intention to investigate the feasibility of payments for carbon in hedgerows and trees including agroforestry as well as carbon in soil.

Company Reporting of Emissions

Since 2013 all quoted companies are legally required to measure and report their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. All other companies are encouraged to do so voluntarily. The Government's Environmental Reporting Guidelines set out the process for mandatatory or voluntarily reporting of gross emissions and also encourage organsiations to compensate for their emissions by;

Woodland Carbon Units cannot be used in compliance schemes (eg. the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme or the EU Emissions Trading Scheme); the units are not internationally tradable in either the compliance or voluntary markets.

Other carbon standards

Here are some of the voluntary carbon standards available globally. The UK Woodland Carbon Code is aligned with the core requirements of these international standards with the exception that WCC units are also accounted for in meeting our national emissions reduction targets, whereas global voluntary stanards generally create credits in countries without a national emissions reduction target.

UK Peatland Code. IUCN are developing a Peatland Code which accounts for the reduction in emissions when restoring areas of degraded peatland. This standard is developed along similar lines to the UK Woodland Carbon Code.

Verra also manage the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard which focusses on the social and environmental impacts and co-benefits of land-based climate change mitigation projects. It sets standards to ensure projects include environmental and social safeguards to avoid harm, and improve the livelihoods and biodiveristy of local communities. This standard doesn't create carbon credits but a project can be joint certifed as VCS and CCBS to ensure the wider benefits of the carbon project.

The Gold Standard includes a Landuse and Forests Framework. It currently covers Afforestation and Reforestation, improved forest management and agriculture.

Plan Vivo supports forest-based projects to accrue environmental, social and sustainable development benefits. Projects are designed by and worked on by rural communities, and the Plan Vivo standards emphasise ongoing stakeholder consultation and the use of native species. Afforestation and Reforestation, forest restoration, agro-forestry, and forest protection and management projects are all accepted under Plan Vivo.